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Matthew 21:15-16
But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”
When the priests and teachers heard the children shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David” it was more than just simple praise honoring Jesus. In the Hebrew language, “hosanna” means “save” and “Son of David” was the popular Jewish title for the coming Messiah. The children were acknowledging Jesus as the one all of Israel had been waiting for, and the religious leaders were not at all pleased
In reply to their objections, Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2, “From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise.” The religious leaders knew the Scripture and this response would have felt like a hard right jab. Psalm 8, written by David, praised God for His sovereign ordering of all creation. David proclaimed that God’s glory is “in the heavens.” Then, in Psalm 8:2, David noted that this great God assigns little children to praise Him in order to silence His enemies (the foe and the avenger). Jesus was, in effect, calling these religious leaders enemies of God!
Isn’t it remarkable how God uses children? Often it is children who cause the hearts of their parents to soften. Many moms and dads have gotten serious about Jesus after their child was born. Sometimes He uses children to bring grandparents to Himself. Here He uses children to remind the religious pretenders that they were, in fact, nothing more than actors on a stage. One more thing…two chapters earlier Jesus called a little child to come to Him and told His listeners that unless they changed and humbled themselves like a little child they would “never enter the kingdom of heaven”. Hmm, maybe the older we get the younger we should become.
Father, make me like a little child…trusting, tender, and focused on You. In Christ’s name. Amen.
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